“a victory in the evolution of consciousness”
Self-esteem is included in Jung’s Persona archetype. We often put on a “mask” so others believe we are in charge, confident, courageous, etc., though that may not be our true feeling of self-worth.
Positive Psychology says “self-esteem plays a crucial role in children’s happiness, sense of worth, and overall development … children higher in self-esteem feel more confident and capable. … Relentless negative feedback (you are stupid, useless, lazy, etc.), suggesting life would be better without them, ignoring or treating children as an annoyance, and unfavorable comparisons with other children can all damage a child’s sense of self-worth.”[i]
Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson wrote that adolescence is a time when children can be “‘morbidly, often curiously, preoccupied with what they appear to be in the eyes of others.’ This concern is true of many Twitter users, and it’s hard not to think of one politician in particular to whom this observation rather morbidly, curiously applies.”[ii]
According to Nathaniel Brandon, “If my aim is to prove I am ‘enough,’ the project goes on to infinity—because the battle was already lost on the day I conceded the issue was debatable.”[iii]
Insight # 64 comes to us from Nathaniel Brandon (1930-2014) who was a Canadian-American psychotherapist known for his work in the psychology of self-esteem.
“[The] immune system of consciousness, provid[es] resistance, strength, and a capacity for regeneration. … Self-esteem is best understood as a spiritual attainment, that is, as a victory in the evolution of consciousness.”[iv]
__________
Additional Reading:
- Self-Esteem, The ABC’s of Simple Reality, Vol 2
__________
[i] https://positivepsychology.com/self-esteem-for-children/
[ii] Senior, Jennifer. “A High School We Can’t Escape.” The New York Times. August 5, 2018, p. 7.
[iii] Brandon, Nathaniel. The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. New York: Bantam, 1994, p. 20.
[iv] Ibid., pp. 18 and 53.
